Preface
This second volume in the series 'The General History of Africa: Studies and
Documents' presents the working documents, a summary report of discus-
sions, and supplementary papers submitted at the Meeting of Experts on the
African Slave Trade which was organized by Unesco at Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
from 31 January to 4 February 1978.
The purpose of the meeting, which was recommended by the Interna-
tional Scientific Committee for the Drafting of a General History of Africa,
was to elicit the authorized views of specialists on the various aspects of the
slave trade mentioned in several volumes of the General History of Africa.
Over and above its immediate results, it also aimed at identifying new lines of
research on this subject, since despite the numerous studies and publications
that have already been produced, there remain several questions that have
not yet been satisfactorily answered.
Discussions centred on the following topics: scale and effects of the
slave trade; ideological positions with regard to the problem; abolition of
the slave trade, especially in the Indian Ocean; new lines of research.
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the
facts contained in this book, and for the opinions expressed therein, which
are not necessarily those of Unesco and do not commit the Organization.